Candidate for Frederick City Council - District 5

1. Addressing Social Inequities

Frederick is a city of innovation, history, and opportunity but like many cities, the promise of opportunity is not shared equally. Deep and persistent disparities exist in access to affordable housing, reliable transportation, quality childcare, educational opportunity, and economic mobility. These inequities disproportionately affect renters, people of color, immigrants, and low-income families, shaping not only individual life chances but the health and resilience of our entire city.

As someone who has spent more than 15 years working on housing stability, economic development, and equity-driven policy, I believe that addressing social inequities is not a side issue, it must be central to how we plan, budget, and grow. Frederick must be a city where your zip code or background does not determine your access to safety, stability, or success.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Frederick’s population is becoming increasingly diverse: over 40% of residents identify as Black, Latino, Asian, or multiracial, and roughly 17% of households speak a language other than English at home. Yet these residents are more likely to face higher rent burdens, longer commutes, and lower access to high-quality public amenities compared to white, middle-income households.

The Racial Wealth Gap is visible in Frederick just as it is nationally. While homeownership is a key driver of wealth, Black and Latino households in Frederick are far less likely to own homes due to a long history of redlining, lending discrimination, and exclusionary zoning. As of 2022, the median rent in Frederick exceeded $1,700 per month, a figure that places a severe burden on anyone earning less than $68,000 per year.

Transportation is another major access issue. While Frederick has made strides in expanding its transit offerings, the city's infrastructure still favors cars and leaves behind residents who rely on walking, biking, or public transportation, many of whom are low-income or elderly. Lack of safe, reliable transit options means more time commuting, more money spent on transportation, and less access to jobs, healthcare, and opportunity.

Housing affordability is a cornerstone of social equity. Studies show that stable housing is closely linked to better outcomes in education, health, and employment. I’ve led efforts in neighboring jurisdictions to preserve naturally occurring affordable housing, deliver emergency rental assistance, and support low- and moderate-income homeowners. I’ve also worked on zoning reforms to allow for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), duplexes, and co-housing, all strategies that can expand affordability without displacing existing residents.

In Frederick, we need to build more affordable units, but we also need to protect the ones we have. I support strengthening tenant protections, increasing support for housing cooperatives and nonprofit developers, and using public land for community-led housing initiatives. These policies ensure we are not simply building more, but building better, with long-term affordability, access to transit, and strong community engagement at the center.

I also believe that economic equity must include support for worker- and community-owned businesses, expanded job training, and investment 

We must take an outcome-focused approach to how the City allocates resources. That means more than good intentions, it means embedding measurable goals in our budget process. As a City Councilmember, I would push for:
• Outcome-based budgeting tied to impact and efficiency metrics
• Geographic equity mapping to assess where gaps exist in access to services
• Inclusive public engagement processes, with multilingual outreach and youth voices at the table
• Participatory budgeting pilots, allowing residents to help decide how City dollars are spent

Frederick has everything it needs to be a national model, but it will take deliberate action. I believe that progress starts with listening to residents who are too often ignored, and following up with policies that shift power, resources, and opportunity to those who’ve been left behind.

We must center these voices not just in our values but in our zoning code, our transportation planning, our housing investments, and our public engagement. That’s how we build a Frederick that works for everyone, not just the well-connected, but the everyday residents who make this city strong.

2. Healthcare Access and Equity

While Frederick has quality hospitals and health providers, far too many residents face significant barriers to accessing care. These include lack of transportation, limited insurance coverage, language and cultural barriers, and inadequate access to mental health and preventive services.

As a candidate for City Council with a background in public service and housing policy, I recognize that healthcare access is deeply connected to the built environment, public safety, transit, and economic stability, all areas within the City’s influence. While the City of Frederick does not directly oversee healthcare delivery, local government has a critical role to play in ensuring all residents have the conditions they need to be healthy: safe housing, access to green space, clean air and water, and proximity to care.

As a city leader, I will work to ensure all residents have the conditions they need to live well. This is why I wrote the paper that the city’s proactive rental inspections and licensing program is based on, worked with Councilwoman Kuzemchak to pass the ordinance, and served on the Mayor’s task force to operationalize the policy; to ensure that all residents have access to safe living conditions.

Many Frederick residents, particularly low-income households, immigrants, and communities of color, face obstacles in obtaining consistent, high-quality care. The 2022 Frederick County Community Health Needs Assessment identified key barriers to health access, including:
    • Transportation difficulties, especially for low-income residents
    • Limited access to mental and behavioral health services
    • Language and cultural gaps in health education and outreach
    • Lack of affordable care for uninsured and underinsured resident

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed and intensified these disparities. Many immigrant households and essential workers delayed or avoided care due to cost, fear of immigration enforcement, or lack of information in their native languages. These same barriers persist today, and demand a community-centered approach to health equity.

Although cities don’t operate hospitals or clinics, they can be powerful partners in expanding healthcare access by investing in prevention, co-locating services, supporting transportation solutions, coordinating translation resources as well for more language accessibility, and integrating health goals into planning decisions.
As a City Councilmember, I would pursue several strategies to improve health access:

1.Expand Mobile Health Services and Trusted Community Partnerships Mobile clinics and community health workers are proven ways to reach underserved populations. I would support City funding and partnerships to expand mobile mental health units, vaccination outreach, and primary care vans, especially in high-need neighborhoods and at community events.

2.Co-locate Services in Public Spaces Libraries, recreation centers, and schools are trusted, accessible spaces. The City can work with local health providers and nonprofits to offer pop-up health screenings, dental visits, and preventive education in these locations, bringing care directly to where people already are.

3.Invest in Mental and Behavioral Health Outreach The mental health crisis, especially among youth, continues to grow. I would advocate for City partnerships to support trauma-informed training for City staff, mental health awareness campaigns, and partnerships with local schools and health nonprofits to improve access and reduce stigma.

4.Prioritize Health Equity in City Planning Every City decision, from zoning and housing to transportation and lighting, has public health consequences. I will work to embed health impact assessments in our planning process, support housing that reduces overcrowding and instability, and push for pedestrian-friendly, walkable streets that encourage physical activity.

Healthcare disparities are not accidental, they are the result of disinvestment and policy decisions that have excluded some communities from opportunity. National data shows that Black and Latino residents face higher rates of chronic illness, maternal mortality, and emergency room use for preventable conditions. Immigrant communities often delay care due to fears around cost, status, or discrimination.

As a city leader, I will approach healthcare as an intersectional issue. Affordable housing reduces emergency room visits. Access to parks and clean air improves cardiovascular health. Transit systems that connect people to care providers save lives. As someone who has spent years working on the systems that support health, from housing to emergency assistance to neighborhood safety, I know that improving healthcare access means more than expanding clinics. It requires building trust, meeting people where they are, and embedding health into the fabric of city policy.

If elected, I will work to ensure every Frederick resident, regardless of income, language, or zip code, has a fair chance to live a healthy, full life. That’s the kind of city we should all be working toward.

3. Environmental Concerns

As Frederick continues to grow, we must face a critical truth: our environmental future is being shaped by the decisions we make right now. Whether it’s stormwater runoff, urban heat, tree loss, or increasing traffic emissions, the environmental impacts of growth are all around us. And while these challenges may appear technical or abstract, they touch every part of daily life, from the air we breathe to how safe it feels to walk to school.

As a candidate for City Council in District 5, I believe environmental sustainability is not a side issue, it is central to public health, economic resilience, and long-term livability. The choices we make about land use, infrastructure, and transportation directly affect climate readiness and neighborhood quality of life. And because climate impacts are often felt first and worst in lower-income and historically underserved communities, our response must be grounded in equity.

Frederick’s development patterns over the past few decades have led to the paving over of green space, increased runoff into our waterways, and the isolation of neighborhoods from parks and natural areas. District 5 is a clear example: residents in Villa Estates and surrounding communities are cut off from downtown and from large parks by unsafe roadways, missing sidewalks, and insufficient green buffers. These barriers don’t just make walking unpleasant, they contribute to heat island effects, poor air quality, and dangerous stormwater flooding.

As we build, we must do more than prevent harm, we must start planning for environmental healing. That means investing in green infrastructure like permeable pavement, rain gardens, and street trees that absorb runoff and cool the city. It means preserving natural areas before they’re cleared for development. And it means using zoning, capital budgets, and planning tools to create neighborhoods where nature and people coexist, not compete.

Research from the American Lung Association shows that exposure to poor air quality is linked to asthma, heart disease, and respiratory issues, especially among children and older adults. Frederick’s air quality has generally improved, but emissions from cars and industrial activity remain a concern, especially near highways and busy corridors. Expanding tree cover and walkable street design are proven ways to reduce heat and improve air quality, while also making neighborhoods more livable.
Similarly, access to parks and green space is a major driver of both physical and mental health. According to the Trust for Public Land, residents who live within a 10-minute walk of a park are more likely to be active, have lower stress, and feel more connected to their communities. In Frederick, not every neighborhood enjoys this access, and some parks are disconnected from the surrounding infrastructure that would allow residents to reach them safely without a car.

I will work to expand park access in underserved neighborhoods, ensure street tree coverage is equitably distributed across the city, and invest in multi-use green corridors that connect parks, schools, and residential areas.

Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., and Frederick is no exception. Our city has been built primarily for cars, making walking, biking, or using transit difficult, even in areas close to downtown. This not only limits mobility for people without cars (including teens, seniors, and low-income residents), but also increases congestion, emissions, and the stress on our road system.

To build a more sustainable Frederick, we must invest in:
    • Safe pedestrian and bike infrastructure, with crosswalks, traffic calming, and lighting
    • Expanded and reliable public transit, especially for working-class neighborhoods
    • Car-alternative routes with accessible, inclusive wayfinding
    • Zoning changes that encourage mixed-use development and reduce car dependency

By focusing on people-first infrastructure, we can reduce emissions, improve safety, and create stronger connections between neighborhoods and the resources they need.

Environmental issues are also issues of justice. Climate impacts, from flooding to extreme heat, disproportionately affect low-income communities and communities of color. These same neighborhoods are often the least likely to have tree cover, stormwater protections, or well-maintained parks. We must be honest about these disparities and committed to closing the gaps.
    • Equity mapping to identify environmental disparities across neighborhoods
    • Climate resilience planning that includes vulnerable populations
    • Participatory budgeting to give residents a voice in sustainability priorities
    • Incentives for green retrofits and renewable energy, especially in older housing stock

I bring more than just passion for the environment, I bring experience. As Director of Housing and Community Development in a nearby city, I’ve led projects that integrate sustainability with affordability. I’ve worked on zoning reform, green building standards, and housing investments that reduce environmental harm while expanding access. I’ve also advocated for the use of federal funds to support energy-efficient retrofits in low-income homes, because no family should have to choose between comfort and cost.

My vision for Frederick is one where we build smarter, grow greener, and lead boldly on climate. That means making it easier to walk and bike safely. It means planting trees not just downtown, but in every neighborhood. And it means listening to residents about what their communities need, whether it’s a bus stop, a rain garden, or a shaded bench by the park.

Frederick’s environmental future is not predetermined, it’s being written every day through our policies, our investments, and our willingness to lead. If elected, I will bring a focus on equity, sustainability, and long-term resilience to City Hall, and I’ll work every day to ensure that Frederick’s growth strengthens, rather than threatens, the natural and human systems we all depend on.

The future is not just about surviving climate change, it’s about building a city where we can all thrive, together.

4. Access to Child Care

Childcare is not a luxury, it is essential infrastructure for working families and a cornerstone of a thriving community. In Frederick, like much of the country, parents are struggling to find care that is affordable, accessible, and high-quality. At the same time, early childhood educators, many of whom are women and people of color, are underpaid and undervalued, leading to high turnover and shortages across the region.

As a father of three, a former PTA Treasurer at North Frederick Elementary, and a public servant who has spent over a decade working on community-driven policy solutions, I understand firsthand how urgent this issue is. I’ve juggled drop-offs, last-minute closures, and the financial strain of care costs. And as I knock on doors in District 5, I hear from parents who are making difficult decisions: working fewer hours, delaying career goals, or going into debt, all because our childcare system isn’t meeting the needs of our community.

Frederick must take a more proactive role in addressing this challenge. While the City does not run childcare programs directly, it has powerful tools to expand access, lower costs, and support both providers and families. As a City Councilmember, I will work to make Frederick a place where every family can find and afford care that works for them, and where caregivers are supported as the essential workers they are.

Across Maryland and the country, families face three major barriers when it comes to childcare: affordability, availability, and accessibility.

According to the Maryland Family Network, the average cost of full-time infant care in Frederick County is over $15,000 per year, more than tuition at many public colleges. For a family earning Frederick’s median household income (around $90,000), that’s nearly 17% of their annual earnings for just one child, well above the federal affordability benchmark of 7%.

Availability is just as challenging. Waitlists are long, especially for infants and toddlers, and especially for families needing nontraditional hours. The number of licensed providers in Frederick has declined over the past decade, and staffing shortages are making it harder for centers to operate at full capacity.

Accessibility, which includes geographic access, language access, and inclusive care for children with disabilities, remains uneven. Families without cars, those with complex schedules, or those living in lower-income neighborhoods often have fewer options and face the greatest burdens.

This crisis doesn’t just affect individual families, it impacts our local economy, our school readiness rates, and our community stability.

While the City may not fund childcare centers directly, it can and should be a leader in creating a more supportive ecosystem for families and providers. Here’s how:

1. Ease Zoning and Regulatory Barriers for In-Home and Neighborhood-Based Care
Many licensed in-home providers struggle with zoning restrictions that limit where or how they can operate. I will advocate for updates to our zoning code that make it easier for safe, licensed care providers to operate in residential neighborhoods. We can also offer technical assistance to help providers navigate the licensing process.

2. Support Childcare Startups with Seed Grants and Space Access
The City can partner with nonprofits, foundations, and businesses to offer small startup grants to help new centers or cooperatives open, particularly in areas identified as “childcare deserts.” Additionally, City-owned buildings and underutilized spaces could be made available for childcare through affordable leases or co-location with libraries, rec centers, and housing developments.

3. Invest in the Childcare Workforce
The early education workforce is among the lowest paid in the country, despite the vital work these professionals do. While pay is largely driven by tuition revenue and state reimbursements, the City can still play a role by offering wage enhancement pilots, professional development stipends, and recognition programs that value and retain staff. I will also support workforce development partnerships between the City, FCC, and local schools to build a pipeline of future educators.

4. Embed Childcare in Planning and Development
Too often, childcare is treated as an afterthought in planning processes. I will work to ensure that all new large-scale developments, including residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects, are evaluated for childcare demand and consider co-location opportunities. If we expect working families to live and thrive in new neighborhoods, care must be part of the equation.

5. Engage Families and Providers in Policy Solutions
Policies work best when they’re informed by the people they affect. I will push for the City to establish a Family and Caregiver Advisory Group to provide regular feedback to the Council and staff, and help shape responsive, data-informed solutions.

When families can’t access childcare, the effects ripple outward: workforce participation drops, stress and mental health challenges rise, and children miss out on critical early learning experiences. When caregivers leave the field due to low wages and burnout, we lose the people at the heart of any successful early education system. And when cities ignore these challenges, they pay for them in lost productivity, strained schools, and growing inequality.

Frederick is a city full of talented people, strong neighborhoods, and opportunity, but to truly thrive, we must support the families and workers who are its foundation. Access to affordable, high-quality childcare should not depend on your income, your zip code, or your work schedule.

As a parent, public servant, and longtime advocate for working families, I’m ready to lead on this issue. I’ll bring the same passion and pragmatism I’ve brought to housing and community development, and I’ll make sure the voices of caregivers and families are at the center of our solutions.

5. Public Education and the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future

Frederick City’s public schools are one of our community’s greatest assets. Strong schools drive family stability, attract economic investment, and prepare the next generation to lead. But as our city grows rapidly, we’re confronting serious challenges, particularly overcrowding, uneven school quality, and a disconnect between development approvals and infrastructure capacity. These are not just school system problems. They are city problems, and they require city-level leadership.

As a father of three, former PTA Treasurer at North Frederick Elementary, and longtime policy professional focused on housing and equitable development, I’ve seen firsthand how deeply education and local planning are connected. I believe that the City of Frederick must play a more active and responsible role in shaping growth that supports, rather than strains, our public schools. At the same time, we must champion the effective implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, the landmark state education reform aimed at expanding opportunity and closing gaps for all Maryland students.

While delayed in its implementation, the Blueprint’s goals are bold and necessary. They include universal pre-K, higher pay and career pathways for educators, targeted supports for students in poverty and English learners, and a stronger bridge between school and workforce readiness.

While the Blueprint is implemented at the state and county level (through FCPS and the Maryland State Department of Education), local governments like Frederick City have a major role to play, particularly in ensuring school infrastructure, transportation, and development policy align with these long-term goals.

Over the past decade, Frederick City has experienced rapid residential growth, with thousands of new housing units approved or in the pipeline. While growth is necessary and beneficial when done well, the pace has far outstripped our school system’s ability to keep up. Parents in District 5 and beyond are facing:
    • Overcrowded schools, particularly at the elementary and middle levels
    • Inconsistent walkability and safe access to neighborhood schools
    • School redistricting pressure as new developments are approved
    • Frustration with a perceived lack of coordination between city development approvals and school planning

While the City does not fund school operations, it does make land use decisions and collects a fee from developers for school impacts. City leaders’ decisions regarding land use and if and how to spend impact fees have real consequences for enrollment, transportation, and school equity.

If elected to City Council, I will advocate for stronger coordination and earlier collaboration between the City of Frederick, Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS), and the County Council. Here are specific steps I will support:

1.Partner with the County and Board of Education to Meet School Capacity Needs
I will push for more transparent and data-driven school construction information and seek school sites as a part of the development approval process. We need to ensure that school capacity is not just considered, but meaningfully integrated into planning and zoning decisions. Development approvals should reflect not only where we want to grow, but whether we can support that growth without overcrowding classrooms.
I would also give the fees collected by the City from developers to offset school impacts to the County for school construction or use the funds to purchase land for new City school sites and give the dedicated land to the County.

2. Ensure Walkable, Safe Routes to Schools
As we invest in infrastructure, we must prioritize sidewalks, crosswalks, and traffic calming near all schools, especially in District 5, where neighborhoods like Villa Estates remain disconnected from schools and parks due to poor pedestrian infrastructure. Safe routes improve attendance, reduce traffic, and promote health.

3. Champion Community Schools and Expanded Services
The Blueprint calls for expanded wraparound services, particularly in high-need communities. I’ll advocate for co-location of health, counseling, and family engagement services in schools, and support the City’s role in funding after-school programs, summer learning, and mental health outreach.

4. Support Educators and School Staff
While pay and hiring are the domain of FCPS, City leaders can show real support for teachers by providing workforce housing opportunities, recognizing educators as essential workers, and including them in planning and community engagement. We can also ensure educators feel safe, respected, and connected in every neighborhood.

Public education is a shared investment in the well-being and opportunity of our children. When schools are overcrowded, when families are redistricted with little notice, and when teachers burn out due to inadequate support, the entire community feels the impact. Strong schools support strong neighborhoods, and if we fail to plan accordingly, we risk undermining one of our greatest assets.

I believe that education should be seen through the same lens as housing, transportation, and economic development: as interconnected systems that shape daily life. Smart, equity-focused planning can prevent displacement, reduce travel times, and ensure that every child, whether in Worman’s Mill or Lucas Village, has access to a great education close to home.

I’ve spent over 15 years in public service leading policy efforts that require cross-sector collaboration. I’ve worked with school systems, county agencies, and nonprofit partners to deliver housing and community services that improve long-term outcomes. And as a parent, I’ve volunteered in classrooms, managed PTA budgets, and supported school-based programs. I bring both a systems mindset and personal commitment to this work.

The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is a historic opportunity, but it won’t fulfill its promise without local leaders who are engaged, informed, and ready to lead with kids in mind. That’s the kind of leadership I’m committed to bringing to City Hall.

6. Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Frederick is a vibrant, growing city shaped by generations of immigrant families, Black residents, working-class communities, and newcomers drawn by its schools, charm, and opportunity. It’s a place where diverse voices and cultures strengthen our neighborhoods, businesses, and public life. But as we grow, we face a choice: Will we become a more inclusive and equitable city, or will we allow disparities to deepen?

Advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion takes intentional policies, sustained engagement, and leaders who are willing to listen, learn, and lead with humility. As a longtime public servant, housing and community development professional, and candidate for City Council in District 5, I believe DEI must be a foundation of everything we do, from how we spend public dollars to how we design neighborhoods, structure programs, and make decisions.

At its core, DEI is about building a community where every person, regardless of race, income, language, gender, disability, immigration status, or background, feels safe, valued, and able to thrive.

Diversity is about representation, making sure that leadership, city staff, boards, and commissions reflect the people of Frederick. Equity is about fairness, recognizing that historical and systemic barriers require targeted solutions to ensure opportunity for all. Inclusion is about belonging, creating spaces where everyone can participate, be heard, and help shape decisions.

Local governments across the country are increasingly recognizing that advancing DEI is not just the right thing to do, it leads to smarter policy, better outcomes, and stronger public trust.

One of the most impactful equity efforts I’ve led was the implementation of Frederick County’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program during the COVID-19 pandemic. We knew early on that the people hit hardest, renters at risk of eviction, many of them immigrants, essential workers, and single parents, were also the least likely to have access to the traditional systems of support.

As part of the program’s leadership team, I helped design a system that emphasized accessibility:
    • We partnered with multilingual outreach teams and trusted messengers to build awareness.
    • We streamlined application requirements and offered in-person assistance.
    • We collaborated with nonprofits embedded in underserved neighborhoods to ensure equitable distribution.

In the end, we delivered over $16 million in housing stability support to more than 1,500 households, with a focus on reaching those most at risk of displacement. This wasn’t just about distributing funds; it was about designing a public service with equity at the center.

That experience reinforced a core belief I hold: Equity isn’t a goal you reach. It’s a lens you apply, consistently and intentionally, to how we plan, govern, and build community.

If elected, I will champion equity in practice, by embedding it into policy, budgeting, public engagement, and city operations. Here are specific steps I will take:

1. Equity in Budgeting
Budgets are moral documents. They reflect our values and priorities. I will advocate for:
    • Outcome-based budgeting that ties funding to measurable, equitable community outcomes.
    • Equity assessments as part of the annual budgeting process, to evaluate how proposed spending affects different communities.
    • Participatory budgeting pilots that give residents, particularly youth, renters, and low-income families, a voice in how funds are used.

2. Inclusive Public Engagement
Many residents feel left out of City decision-making. I’ll work to:
    • Expand language access in public meetings and materials.
    • Support community meetings held in neighborhoods, not just City Hall.
    • Ensure representation on City boards and commissions reflects the city’s demographics.
    • Establish a Community Equity Advisory Council to keep DEI work connected to real community needs.

3. Support for Immigrant and Undocumented Residents
Frederick has a large and growing immigrant population, including undocumented residents who contribute to our economy and culture. I support:
    • Strengthening partnerships with immigrant-serving organizations.
    • Exploring expanded voting rights for non-citizen residents in municipal elections, with strong data privacy protections.
    • Ensuring City services are accessible regardless of immigration status.

4. Workforce and Procurement Equity
Equity also means looking inward, at who we hire, promote, and contract with. I will support:
    • Equitable hiring and promotion practices in City departments.
    • Minority- and women-owned business outreach in City procurement.
    • Paid internship and mentorship programs to diversify the pipeline into public service.

Takoma Park and Montgomery County have implemented language access ordinances, immigrant advisory groups, and climate justice task forces, recognizing that equity cuts across every city priority, from environment to housing to public safety. Frederick can and should adopt similar tools.

Frederick is at a turning point. We can either allow inequities to deepen through uneven development, disconnected public input, and status-quo policymaking, or we can choose a future where every resident feels seen, heard, and empowered.

7. Housing Affordability and Neighborhood Change

Housing is the foundation of a stable life. It determines where children go to school, how long workers commute, whether families can save, and whether seniors can age in place. In Frederick, more and more residents are being priced out, not just of homeownership, but of the city entirely.

Housing affordability is the defining issue of our time, even if it doesn’t always come up first at the doorstep. The cost of housing affects everything: school crowding, economic mobility, transportation needs, and our city’s identity. As someone who has spent more than 15 years in housing policy, supported thousands of families through emergency assistance, and helped lead zoning and affordability efforts in Frederick, the County, Maryland, and DC, I believe Frederick needs bold, thoughtful leadership on this issue; leadership that centers both affordability and belonging.

The average rent in Frederick is now over $1,700 for a two-bedroom apartment. To afford that without being rent-burdened, a household would need to earn over $68,000, more than many essential workers, young families, and seniors on fixed incomes make. Meanwhile, home prices have risen sharply, with the median sale price topping $450,000, putting homeownership out of reach for many.

For renters who make up nearly 40% of Frederick households, options are limited, and rising rents mean increased instability. Many families are forced to move further from schools, jobs, and support networks. At the same time, longtime homeowners in gentrifying neighborhoods face rising property taxes and a changing sense of community.

Neighborhoods near downtown and along key corridors are experiencing significant pressure from redevelopment. While investment is important, it must not come at the cost of displacement. Development without affordability is not progress, it's disconnection.

Local government cannot solve every housing challenge alone, but it has real tools to make a meaningful difference. As a City Councilmember, I will support a comprehensive, equity-driven housing strategy that prioritizes both production and preservation, while protecting residents from displacement and instability.

1.Preserve Existing Affordable Housing
We must stop the slow erosion of naturally affordable housing, older apartment complexes, single-family rentals, and mixed-use buildings that serve working-class residents. I will support:
    • A city-funded Housing Preservation Fund to assist with acquisition and rehabilitation by nonprofits
    • The local rental registry and inspection program (which is based on my design) to ensure safe, healthy units
    • Strategies to limit speculative sales and incentivize long-term affordability commitments2. Build More Housing Across a Range of Price Points

We need more housing, period, but not just luxury units. I’ll advocate for:
    • Expanding inclusionary zoning to require affordable units in new developments
    • Updating building codes, improve permitting processes, and change zoning to expand housing opportunities
    • Supporting nonprofit, cooperative, and community land trust models
    • Using public land for deeply affordable housing with long-term affordability covenants
    • Legalizing missing middle housing like duplexes, triplexes, and cottage courts in more zoning districts

3. Modernize Building Codes and Streamline Permitting to Support Affordability
    • Update local building codes to reflect modern, cost-effective, and sustainable construction practices without compromising safety including single-stair reform
    • Streamline the permitting process to reduce delays, uncertainty, and fees for affordable and small-scale housing projects
    • Create clear guidelines and timelines for developers, nonprofits, and homeowners pursuing infill or incremental housing
    • Support pre-approved plans for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), missing middle housing, and green retrofits to cut down on review time
    • Ensure zoning and permitting policies prioritize housing types that meet local affordability and accessibility goals

These updates will make it faster, more predictable, and less expensive to build the kinds of housing Frederick truly needs, while maintaining quality, safety, and neighborhood character.

4.Protect Renters and Stabilize Communities
Renters are especially vulnerable to displacement in Frederick’s competitive market. I support:
    • Exploring an anti-gouging policy to limit extreme rent increases
    • Creating a Right to Counsel program and ending no fault evictions for tenants facing eviction
    • Expanding emergency rental assistance during hardship
    • Supporting tenant organizing and education, especially in large complexes
These policies don’t pit renters against landlords, they create shared stability and predictability in the housing market.

5. Promote Equity and Opportunity
Homeownership is still the most common path to generational wealth in the U.S., but too many families in Frederick, especially families of color and first-generation buyers, are locked out of the market. I will support:
    • A first-generation homebuyer program modeled on national best practices
    • Down payment and closing cost assistance for moderate-income households
    • Employer-assisted housing partnerships to help essential workers live near where they work
Frederick should be a place where those who grow up here can afford to stay, and those who serve the city can afford to live in it.

I often hear concerns about neighborhood change, that new development will alter the look or feel of long-standing communities. I understand those concerns. But the answer isn’t to stop building, it’s to build thoughtfully, with community involvement and public benefit. When we allow only high-end development or block diverse housing types, we don’t preserve community, we price people out of it.

District 5 has some of the city’s most stable, connected neighborhoods, and some of its most urgent needs for affordable options. Villa Estates, Lucas Village, and other areas deserve both reinvestment and respect for their character. I will advocate for context-sensitive development, neighborhood design input, and public engagement early in the planning process.

This isn’t theoretical for me. I’ve worked on the ground designing and implementing housing programs that stabilize families, unlock opportunity, and protect long-time residents. I’ve led emergency rental assistance efforts, reformed outdated policy, and helped build cross-sector coalitions that actually deliver results. I’ve worked alongside developers, nonprofits, and residents, not just in meetings, but in the community.

I bring that same practical, compassionate leadership to this campaign, and to the Council, if elected.

Housing affordability is not just about supply and demand. It’s about fairness, stability, and inclusion. It’s about ensuring that Frederick remains a city for families, seniors, teachers, artists, and essential workers, not just for those who can outbid the rest.

If elected, I will champion bold, balanced, and community-rooted housing policies that reflect what we all want: a Frederick where everyone has a place to call home.